Burkina army enters capital as coup leaders free president

Update:
September, 22/2015 - 11:34

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OUAGADOUGOU — Burkina Faso army troops haveentered the capital Ouagadougou without resistance and begun negotiating thesurrender of coup leaders, police said early today as France's ambassadortweeted that the interim president had been released.

"All units (of the army mobilised yesterday to march on the capital) reached Ouagadougou" overnight, Colonel Serge Alain Ouedraogo, deputy head of the Burkinabe police, said.

"We must now secure the surrender of the (coup leaders) without gunfire orbloodshed," he said.

He spoke after French ambassador Gilles Thibault tweeted that interimpresident Michel Kafando, who had been under house arrest, was now "at theFrench residence."

Kafando had been arrested on Wednesday as Burkina was plunged into turmoilwhen soldiers from the powerful presidential guard regiment loyal to ex-leaderBlaise Compaore detained him and prime minister Isaac Zida, himself a formerdeputy commander of the unit.

The RSP, an elite unit of 1,300 men, officially declared a coup thefollowing day and installed General Gilbert Diendere, a close Compaore ally, asthe country's new leader.

At least 10 people were killed and more than 100 injured in protestssparked by the coup, which came just weeks before what would have been thefirst elections since Compaore was ousted in a popular revolt last Octoberafter trying to extend his 27-year grip on power.

Burkina Faso's army chiefs on Monday ordered coup leaders to lay down theirarms as troops began marching from the provinces towards the capitalOuagadougou.

"All the national armed forces are converging on Ouagadougou with the soleaim of disarming the presidential guard (RSP) without any bloodshed," an armystatement said.

It advised members of the RSP to go to the Sangoule Lamizana militarybarracks west of the capital, saying they and their families would remain safe.

The stark warnings came as anger grew over a west African-mediated peacedeal to end the latest crisis in the landlocked former French colony.

Witnesses said the military units were greeted along their march to thecapital by crowds of people cheering.

French President Francois Hollande also demanded "all those involved in theputsch to immediately lay down their arms and hand over power to the legitimateauthorities – or face the consequences."

And he warned that France, which still wields significant influence in itsformer African colonies, could also "apply sanctions to those opposing theholding of regular elections."

A similar call was also issued by the presidents of Niger and Chad, whocalled on the renegade soldiers to "return to the barracks" and hand back powerto the transition administration they toppled on September 17.

'Serious reservations'

Following the coup, Senegal's President Macky Sall, the rotating head ofthe Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), undertook three days ofmediation and on Sunday came up with a 12-point plan to end the crisis.

The ECOWAS deal provides for presidential and parliamentary elections to beheld by November 22 at the latest, and crucially would allow for pro-Compaorecandidates to take part after they complained about being excluded fromOctober's vote.

ECOWAS mediators said the fate of the RSP should be decided by a futureBurkinabe leader.

And they have also proposed an amnesty for those behind the coup – asuggestion that has sparked widespread anger on the streets.

Diendere yesterday had said he would honour the ECOWAS proposal and handover power.But Kafando told France's RFI radio he had "serious reservations" about theECOWAS peace deal and was sceptical that any solution to the crisis would beachieved during the Abuja summit today.

He said he had not been invited to attend.

'Shameful' amnesty proposal

In Ouagadougou, residents were highly critical of the ECOWAS proposal andfurious at the suggestion of amnesty for the presidential guards.

"We don't trust ECOWAS any more. We want to get out there and take ourdestiny in our hands," said Adama Traore, an office worker in his 30s.

"The bodies are not even buried and (they want) an amnesty. We shallbarricade everything," he said.

Civil society activists who played a major role in the uprising thattoppled Compaore have also condemned the ECOWAS proposals, with the main "BalaiCitoyen" (Civic Broom) group branding the deal "shameful."

"We cannot accept the amnesty. There are comrades who have fallen andECOWAS is telling us to extend an amnesty," said Mady Ouedraogo, a spokesmanfor Balai Citoyen.

Although the streets of the capital were filled with traffic and many shopswere open yesterday, Internet access was barely available and several mobilephone networks were not working.

Many of last year's demonstrations against Compaore were organised throughsocial media. — AFP